Lazarus 1883 Painting

Many of the ideas in my work exist at the intersections between what we are told about the world around us, what we would like to believe about it, and the true nature of reality (which no one really knows). While there are many reasons I chose to be a painter, central is my desire for understanding and to resist the very human urge tell ourselves and others what we want to hear rather than what is true. Truth is elusive and rarely as tidy as we would like to make it. Stories have always been a huge part of how human beings process reality. In my paintings, ideas about the future, stories from history, and sometimes even from my own life clash with current events and are represented with a sort of orchestral madness. Our ideas about reality, the world, and our place in it are constantly eroding and evolving amid a malaise of information. I take inspiration from the way that dreams force our unconscious to confront our deepest fears in surreal and symbolic ways. Each image that I create weaves a seamless tapestry of visual references, styles, and symbols all revolving around a central theme. The pictures serve as a visual short-hand for broader topics that intersect in my mind in an effort to work out what I think, what to do about it, and keep sane in the midst of it all. Artists and individuals that inspire me the most tend to be those that see the ugliness, and find hope anyway like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Joseph Beuys, and Kathe Kolwitz. In making my work, I strive to tap into their courage and experience. Simply put, it is my life’s goal to be a part of the tradition we call art. Art cannot fix the world and how it is broken. However, when we take it seriously and use it wisely, it can be one element of change to bolster others.